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Senator Burch Explains Audit Request of Arizona's Opioid Settlement Funds

Arizona Senate Democrats

Arizona State Senate 

1700 W. Washington St. 

Phoenix, AZ 85007 

 

Press Release


PHOENIXSenator Eva Burch (LD9) released the following statement explaining her requested audit of the use of Arizona's opioid settlement funds under the One Arizona Agreement: 


“Today, I requested an audit through the Joint Legislative Audit Committee regarding the use of Arizona's opioid settlement funds distributed to the Arizona Department of Corrections under the One Arizona Agreement. 


In August 2021, the Arizona Attorney General's Office announced that 90 cities and towns and all 15 counties signed on the One Arizona Memorandum of Understanding to expeditiously distribute funds across Arizona from national opioid settlements at both the state and local levels. To comply with the settlement agreement, these dollars can only be used for specific purposes as provided in the Memorandum.   


This issue is very close to my heart. I have specifically requested that the Office of the Auditor General audit the listed One Arizona funds distributed to the Arizona Department of Corrections from 1/1/2023 to 12/31/2024 to ensure that each program funded meets the criteria for approved purpose. It is critical that these dollars are being used appropriately and that the state is acting as responsible stewards of these settlement dollars. I look forward to seeing the outcome of this audit and providing my constituents with renewed confidence that state leaders are doing what is necessary to address the ongoing opioid crisis in Arizona. 

 

As a medical provider in the addiction space myself, I understand the serious responsibility we have to get it right with these funds. Opioid overdose is a leading cause of death for individuals released from correctional facilities, 10 times greater than the general population. Incarceration contributes to this risk because patients have limited access to medication assisted treatment, their support systems and treatment plans are interrupted, and they lose opioid tolerance while incarcerated with inadequate access to wraparound services. Opioid settlement funds distributed to the Department of Corrections must be responsibly utilized for treatment interventions, or the cost will be in human life.”  

 

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